HORSE SENSE: Mom – the builder of leaders

Some people feel that the Bible suppresses women. It is actually quite the opposite.

Women are challenged to rise to the occasion many times throughout scripture.

Moms in “Humansville” as well as the horse herd both have incredible flexibility. They strive to be very soft on one end, yet very determined on the other.

Stallions first learn respect and self control from their moms as well as other mares in the herd – critical elements for getting them to think rather than just follow their immediate desires.

Moms don’t always get credit for what they do, yet they are in good company. Our creator God in heaven is easily forgotten by us even more so.

Mike Daniels

When I think of courage that is portrayed in the Bible, Deborah – a prophetess in the Old Testament – demonstrated both wisdom and courage, that brought Israel 40 years of peace. Rachael, wife of David, avoided bloodshed by meeting him and his armed men angry for battle. She brought provisions that kept them from killing Nabal and his entire number of servants. Rahab the prostitute could have succumbed to peer pressure, but trusted God instead, therefore saving her whole household from the fate of Jericho. This also showed sensitivity to the situation, seeing and understanding things that others could not. Esther the Jewish queen had the courage to confront Haman despite danger to her life from the king. Her efforts saved the Jewish people of the day. The woman described in Proverbs 31 could easily handle responsibility in any modern day corporation.

These women and many more of the Bible showed sensitivity and courage that is obvious to readers of scripture. One day God will show it to those unwilling to read his word and all will see it.

Femininity is known for softness, and grace. We see the benefits in this in sensitivity to surroundings and ease of motion. We know that this quality helps longevity in more ways than one. Football players who take dance lessons can move with more finesse, and learn to “not be there” when a collision seems eminent. Actually, this is a great boxing strategy as well. This is also why some people can get 300,000 miles out of a car, while others can barely get one off a new car lot before they destroy it.

Everybody enjoys seeing the beauty of motion, like the ballet dancer, many other athletes in sports, and animals such as the horse that seem so effortless in motion. We welcome this softness that helps us all be more productive, and enjoy more of what we do. We know that precision, finesse, and flexibility are some of God’s timeless qualities that will always trump brute force. This is where males can learn much about true survival.

In the horse world, mares can be so tender with their young ones, yet just like humans they can be very protective as well. Mares can stroke others gently one minute and turn their hind legs into dangerous battering rams the next, although the feminine quality of toughness usually has more to do with endurance.

A good example in scripture would be the parable Jesus told about the widow and the unjust judge. She just plain outlasted him and wore him down. When I explain the pressure language in horsemanship, it has the flexibility of mom. That is why I like calling it the mom language. The pressure language is so flexible that it goes from barely touching a horse to get it to move, to digging in with very uncomfortable pressure if that is what it takes to motivate it to move. Yet we will increase pressure slowly to begin with to give a horse time to understand that we did start so incredibly soft before we really get tough. This is why I explain it as going from the soft kitty cat to the fierce lioness as an available range. Humans understand the same concept. They love it when Mom is soft and gentle, but if they ignore her, let’s just say they sure look forward to her being soft and gentle again.

This black and white concept sure makes communication crystal clear. The opposite of this is a mom who can neither be very soft and gentle, nor bear down when she needs to, but instead stays in a nagging grey area much of the time. We all need a “ polite, gentle place” that helps with positive reinforcement (which should be most of the time) as well as a “truly uncomfortable place” that prompts change through negative reinforcement as well.

Stallions that are raised in a wild horse herd learn important lessons from their moms. Just as a good human mom instills good manners, so does a good mare. They teach a colt real early how to think with their brains rather than their hormones. Stallions that do not learn to be sensitive to reading mares, can get hurt real easy by trying to breed a mare in the wrong time and place. I have heard of un-savvy stallions getting front legs broken. In our society where mom and her most valuable job of instilling manners in youngsters is downplayed, and considered secondary to a job in the workforce, we lose the character needed for a strong family. I believe our lack of self control in areas of sex, spending money, and overall patience in relationships is directly related to how we value mom and her golden job of teaching youth how to read people, and be sensitive to their needs as well as stressing the importance of delayed gratification. I have heard people say that animals cannot reason, but only follow instincts. Not only is that not true, but many humans can learn how to think and not just follow instincts by studying God’s examples in the animal world.

I’ll repeat my Dad’s most quoted verse found in all four gospels. “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.”

I think of this when I think of all the times credit is not given where credit is due. Our modern society seems to value mom’s job in town more than mom’s incredible role at home. If we don’t see it now, God will point out one day who the true movers and shakers of society were and are. They are moms who valued their roles in the home enough to nurture the true strengths of society, self-control, and delayed gratification. They were not afraid of not receiving credit for their sacrifices, because they were well aware that our creator has not received due credit either. But those of us who value hope and faith look forward to the day where true love will be displayed in all of its authenticity. In that day we will be truly praising God, and we will acknowledge the valuable skill of another undercover agent: mom.